Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-01-13

Maine, is increased vigor and hardness,
to be secured by production of varieties
possessing these characteristics and by
high culture.
One of the most important values of
fertilizers is their action on quick grow
ing crops. Strawberries, for example,
must gather most of their food in a few
weeks, and In that time must have it in
upurabundance in the most available
form. Grass, on the other hand, takes as
many months to perfect its growth and
plenty of time to gather its food, which
is about the same for one half ton of
timothy as for 5000 quarts of straw
berries.
Tree tables are good thing, but we
know better. Make a record of the
trees on paper. Note the number of
rows, the place of each tree in the row.
Make diagram of your orchard, desig-
mating the trees by stars. Draw a circle
around each star, and in it write the name
of the variety Of the tree represented by
the star; then you've got it, providing you
don't lose your record, and the record is
no more liable to be lost than label.
Lily of the valley can be forced in
sand in temperature of 900 for the soil
and 400 to 45o for the air. Shade with a
thin cloth after they start, to produce
long flower stems. Water the soil freely,
but don't wet the blooms. Eighteen to
twenty days from the start will bring ma
ture flowers.
Cleanliness is one of the most import
ant essentials to the success of the window
garden. The leaves and stalks of all
plants are we'll supplied with pores, and
it is necessary to keep these latter open.
Plants should be sprinkled with a syringe
and especially is this the case with the
large leaved plants like callas. The leaves
of the latter should be washed occasion
ally.
Ii is essential to give plants an abun
dance of air, yet caution is required in so
doing. A draft of cold air should never
be allowed to blow directly on the
plants. The window should be lowered
from the top for a few moments daily,
unless the wind blows strongly from
the direction in which the window is To-
Gated.
The amount of heat required by the
ordinary class of plants in the window is
often a source of anxiety to the amateur.
Our experience has beeu if we are COM
Portable in a temperature of IS to 70 de-
grees during the day and so to so degrees
at night, the same heat will be about
right for our plants.
Mistakes are often made in watering
window plants. It is, of course, quite
natural thBt the heat of the ordinary
room will have a drying effect on the
plants It is not advisable to keep the
saucer constantly filed with water, as it
has tendency to induce sourness of the
soil. The best method is the practice of
setting the pots in a box Of sand. Moss
will answer that purpose equally as
well.
Among the best methods for storing
apples is widel and,spacious rack built
for the purpose Fruits stored IN these
racks are less liable to rot, and are also
beyond the reach of vermin found in eel
lars and sheds. Barrels or boxes are GER
tainly more desirable than the stone
or earth bottom of the cellar.
Grapes should be carefully packed
away in boxes or baskets, using thin pa
per, tissue being the best, to wrap each
bunch in. We do not consider the use
of sawdust for packing material as ad-
visable, for in most cases the fruit will
taste of the packing material. Large
fruits like pears, ounces, etc., do much
better if set on shelf in a dry place,
where they may mature more evenly
than if packed in boxes with other speci-
mems.